By Mike Esterl 

Coca-Cola Co. has formally requested that FIFA support an independent commission to reform the soccer's scandal-plagued governing body.

The letter by the longtime sponsor, sent to FIFA's leadership last week, raises pressure on embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter to overhaul the soccer association ahead of its planned executive committee meeting Monday.

Sponsors have signaled growing unease with FIFA since U.S. authorities in May indicted 14 people linked to the organization on corruption charges. Mr. Blatter, who hasn't been indicted or admitted to any wrongdoing, said last month he intended to step down.

A Coke spokeswoman confirmed Friday the letter was sent to FIFA urging that a third-party commission be overseen "by one or more eminent, impartial leaders" to manage reform. She declined to provide more details about the letter.

The Atlanta-based beverage giant sent a separate letter earlier Friday to the International Trade Union Confederation, or ITUC, a Brussels-based international labor association campaigning for FIFA reforms. In that letter, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Coke said it made its formal request to FIFA on July 9 and that an independent commission was necessary to overhaul FIFA's governance and human rights requirements.

"We believe that establishing this independent commission will be the most credible way for FIFA to approach its reform process and is necessary to build back the trust it has lost," Coke stated in its letter to ITUC.

Atlanta-based Coke has sponsored FIFA since 1978 and its current deal runs until 2030.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC's general secretary, praised Coke for "setting a new leadership benchmark" among sponsors in pushing for FIFA reforms. ITUC, which represents 180 million workers globally, has criticized the selection of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament, accusing the country of using slave labor.

Coke has been careful until now to push publicly for reform at FIFA without making any demands. The company sent a letter to FIFA in May after the indictments urging the soccer body to take concrete actions, but didn't specify which actions, according to a person close to Coke.

Despite ratcheting up the pressure in last week's letter, Coke hasn't threatened to pull its FIFA sponsorship, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company also hasn't demanded at any time that FIFA relocate the 2022 tournament or that Mr. Blatter step down, the person added.

When Mr. Blatter said in June that he planned to step down, Coke called it "a positive step." It added at the time that it expected FIFA "to act with urgency to take concrete actions" to overhaul soccer's governing body.

Write to Mike Esterl at mike.esterl@wsj.com

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